EL CLASICO COPA DEL REY PREVIEW AND PREDICTIONS

 Barcelona and Real Madrid square off in the Copa Del Rey semifinals 

 (the Spanish cup), with the first leg occurring today at the Camp Nou, Barca's fortress time and time again in big moments against their hated, bitter enemies.
    And it feels odd, with Messi maybe out for both legs, Ousmane Dembele failing fitness tests to make the 1st leg squad, no Umtiti, no Ronaldo and Madrid stalwarts Carvajal and Marcelo potentially sitting in favor of Reguillon and Odriozola.
    Real Madrid manager Santiago Solari has more pressure to pull this off in the Copa than Valverde has on his shoulders: simply put, Barca fans don't want this cup anymore. We're sick of not winning the Champions league while we give everything for domestic concerns.
     That said, if Ernesto Valverde believes he can risk Lionel Messi only days after suffering (and playing through) a thigh injury, while also thinking we can keep Messi fit, firing and saving our asses every match, we could be well without him if that plan comes to fruition.
    I know Messi has a superhuman body that often belies and defies common sense, especially when it comes to rehabilitating from injuries; but this is a muscle injury in the thigh...these things can hamper an entire season.
     Look no further than Valverde's mismanagement of Umtiti's muscular injuries, his obsession with playing Rakitic every match, his complete disregard of the various injuries Gerard Pique has continued to play through...his destruction of Dembele's first campaign thanks to rushing him back from injuries.
     And in other clubs, look at how Guardiola has screwed up both recoveries for Benjamin Mendy and Kevin De Bruyne, both suffering from muscle problems just like Messi.
     The recovery from these sort of injuries must be gradual, or we shall see Messi back and forth on the bench, unable to play in the biggest of matches, all for what? Valencia in a league match in early February? A Copa Del Rey El Clasico?
      I get that it's an El Clasico, trust me, I understand how important it is to the squad's mentality going into the final stretch to get victories over the best opposition.
      But risking Lionel Messi's season, and by default, OUR entire campaign, for a first leg, or even second leg Copa Del Rey match isn't going to end our Champions League drought.

      Being able to make the tough decisions and realize that we can beat Madrid without both Messi and Dembele (Dembele came on in the first El Clasico of the season and, with the score 2-1 and Madrid having hit the post seconds earlier, led a counter attack that supplied the 3rd decisive goal and pinged in a cross to Vidal for the 5th) and we can move on, in semi-full health......while we still can.
     We can not only beat them without Messi or Dembele: we actually can crush them.
     If we see a dominant Barca today it will be from the usage of Sergi Roberto at RF and Nelson Semedo at RB.
     This is a powerhouse tandem in the making, with a future coupling of Roberto at RCM, Semedo at RB and Dembele at RF could and should be in Valverde's mind every team he sets the lineup.
      And the goals will come from this wing.
      Semedo has improved on his end product in leaps and bounds over the past month and Sergi Roberto has displayed a plethora of fantastic, riveting assists from any position he has played. Not to mention Sergi Roberto is Real Madrid's worst nightmare:

ROBERTO HAS 5 ASSISTS IN HIS LAST 4 MEETINGS AGAINST MADRID
- Roberto dished 2 assists and another chance that Suarez nodded off the post in the last meeting against Madrid

- the danger man for Madrid IS:

 Vincius Junior. This young, languid Brazilian is fast being recognized as one of the world's true unbelievable talents, putting his slick dazzling skills, his superior final ball and overall raw, but fantastic passing ability and his knack for goals all into one package. He's reminding me of a cross between a young Ozil and Neymar ( not saying he's anywhere near their level of talent, merely in profile).
     Since Vinicius Junior plays on the left wing, putting Semedo and Roberto grouped together would be an absolute obvious decision that not only pins Marcelo or Reguillon deep, it also forces Vinicius to use his energy in defense and not creating.
     Not only that, but it makes sure their buildup play on the left is fractured at best.

My lineup:
GK Ter Stegen
RB Semedo
CB Pique
CB Lenglet
LB Alba
CDM Busquets
RCM Vidal
LCM Arthur
RF / RCM / RW Roberto
CF Suarez
LF Coutinho

No Messi to appear off of the bench late, no Messi whatsoever. He's not fit and we don't have to take the chance.

I wonder how many of us will criticize Valverde for not playing Messi if we lose, but absolutely kill the man if Messi gets hurt in victory.

We don't need him today.

Barca win it rough: 2-1
 Madrid take the lead through Kroos playing Benzema in for a garbage goal off of a deflection.

Roberto assists Suarez for a header to equalize and Roberto, again, combines with Semedo who jukes Ramos and the fascist Madrid captain bites and fouls Semedo in the box.
Coutinho or Suarez, whichever, steps up and blasts us to a first leg one goal lead.